House GOP leaders saved President Donald Trump from another congressional rebuke this week over the Iran conflict, but the risk of a high-profile defeat remains acute when the issue comes up again in June.
In a stunning move on Thursday, top Republicans yanked Rep. Gregory Meeks’ (D-N.Y.) war powers resolution from consideration during the middle of a vote series. Facing some 10 GOP absences, GOP leaders then postponed the push until after the Memorial Day recess, a move that drew immediate Democratic ire.
“You guys don’t have the guts or the balls to vote on this,” Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) said on the floor.
If Democrats had won the vote, it would have been the second time in a three-day span that lawmakers would have advanced a resolution to rein in Trump’s war against Iran, after Senate Democrats did so on Tuesday.
Whip count. House Republicans’ attendance problems aren’t going away. It’ll take nearly all GOP lawmakers to be present — and no further Republican defections — to ensure the Iran war powers resolution doesn’t pass.
Support has risen in the House, where GOP Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Tom Barrett (Mich.) and Thomas Massie (Ky.) joined with Democrats last week to back the resolution. It ultimately failed 212-212.
Next time, Democrats will pick up Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), who has pledged to support the push after previously opposing it.
“It tells me that we now have the support to pass the war powers resolution, and they’re trying to scramble to figure out some way to avoid that reality,” Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said of House Republicans’ decision.
In the aftermath of the maneuvering Thursday night, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise sidestepped questions about whether Republicans would’ve lost the vote.
“Well, we just had some members that weren’t there that wanted to be recorded on it, so we’re going to be giving them that opportunity when we come back,” Scalise told reporters.
In the Senate. The House delay came after the Senate voted 50-47 to advance its own war powers push, capitalizing on a mix of GOP absences and Republican defections to clear the first procedural hurdle.
Top Republicans are projecting confidence ahead of further procedural votes. When all 100 senators are back and participating, the argument goes, they’ll easily — if narrowly — defeat subsequent action.
The next vote on the Senate’s Iran resolution is also expected in June.
